Fairfetched
by Misura
Summary: Joey manages to drag Seto along to visit a fair. [SetoJoey]


Fair-fetched

x

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey, silliness, shortie/snippet.

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

written at 17th may 2004, by Misura, in reply to a post in the livejournal-community 400words by This Girl, which offered as a subject:

"Going to a carnival or county fair"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I still have no idea why you insisted to drag me along to this ... this ... " Seto helplessly gestured at the scenery around them, appearing at a loss for words.

Normally, Joey would have savored the sight of Seto being speechless, but at present, it felt like just another indication that this outing might not have been the best way to show Seto that he needed to get out more.

The sweet taste of his victory, won with the aid of Mokuba, in having Seto agree to take a day off, had quickly turned sour. Joey'd hoped that Seto'd loosen up once they reached their destination, yet the opposite seemed the case.

"It's called a 'fair'. And it's supposed to be fun," Joey muttered. "People come here to have a good time."

"-I- am not having 'a good time'," Seto pointed out.

"Why, geez, thanks for telling me. I'd never have guessed from the cheerful expression on your face," Joey snapped.

"Considering neither of us appears to be enjoying himself, why don't we go home?" Seto proposed, sounding much too reasonable for Joey's taste.

"No way!" Joey glanced around, searching for something that might spark the slightest bit of interest in Seto. "Hey, wouldn't Mokuba like one of those?"

Joey pointed in the direction of a circular booth that required people to shoot small balls into rotating cups. In the center of the booth, the prizes that could be won stood on display, ranked by the number of points one had to score to win them. Hardest to win was ...

"A Blue Eyes White Dragon plushie." Seto stared in distaste.

"Don't be such a snob, Seto. I've seen the picture in the top-drawer of your nightstand, remember? You know, that of a Blue Eyes which Mokuba drew for you at a time when you could only dream about the real thing." Joey gave Seto a shove in the right direction. A soft one, since he'd learned Seto was a lot like a donkey; if someone pushed him too hard one way, he'd go the other way, just because.

"-That- has an emotional value. I don't see any connection between that drawing and some ... travesty of the most glorious of all Duel Monsters," Seto maintained.

"Normally, I'd be doing a victory-dance at hearing you admit to such a human weakness as emotions, but since this is about a dragon that doesn't even exist, I'll pass this time," Joey grumbled. "Come on, think about it, Seto. A plushie of your favorite Duel Monster, which you won especially for him, on a fair you wouldn't have visited if he hadn't convinced you to go."

" 'Forced me to go' would be more accurate," Seto put in.

"The point I'm trying to make is that that plushie could become something of 'emotional value' too. It's all about how you look at it," Joey reasoned.

"The way -I- look at it, you're attempting to convince me to make a fool of myself by engaging in some kids' game for the sake of a prize I don't even want." Seto shook his head.

Joey knew it was time for the magic formula, if he was to win this argument.

"Are you afraid that you can't pull it off?" he challenged.

xxxxx

Two hours later, Seto had won seven fluffy versions of Kuriboh, one of the Insect Queen, two of the Harpies' Pet Dragon and three World Famous Duelist-keychains (two times Yugi and one time Pegasus, which did little to improve his mood). But no Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"Yugi or Otogi would have gotten one way before now," Joey observed, from a safe distance, contentedly eating his fifth hotdog. (Watching his boyfriend getting worked up over 'some kids' game' took a lot of energy after all, which needed to be restored.)

"Yugi, perhaps, just because he's abnormally lucky any time he plays a game. But there's no way that Otogi could be better at this than I am," Seto declared, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Firstly, Otogi has lots and lots more experience. Winning prizes at fairs is a good way to impress girls after all." Joey grimaced, recalling the amount of junk Shizuka had brought home, after an afternoon on the fair, accompanied by both Honda and Otogi. "Secondly, I didn't say he'd have -won- the plushie."

"How else could he get it?" Seto demanded, frowning.

"By charming the girl who runs the booth, of course. Probably telling her some cute story about why he wanted to win it. He's slick like that," Joey sighed, more in disgust than in envy.

"Are you suggesting I try his tactics?" Seto asked incredulously. "After pointing out to me how small my social gifts are time and time again?"

Joey smiled at him innocently. "Are you chicken?"

Seto narrowed his eyes. "Don't try using that line on me again; it's not going to work this time. It hasn't escaped my notice that -you- haven't tried any of these so-called games."

"Shizuka's too old to like plushies anymore. And my boyfriend's an insensitive, cowardly bastard," Joey shrugged. "Not the type to give cute, fluffy things to. Come on, Seto. No harm in trying, is there?"

"If you're that sure, why not do it yourself?" Seto countered.

"Actually, I did." Joey pulled a Blue Eyes White Dragon-plushie out of his backpack, holding it out for inspection by Seto. "I told her how badly you wanted to win it for your little brother and she got all swooning, practically begging me to take it."

"Somehow, I really doubt that last part," Seto snorted. "The mere fact that she gave in shows a particular lack of economic sense on her part."

"She also asked me for your phone-number," Joey continued. Seto glared at him. "Which I refused, of course. She's way too nice for you. Not to mention that you're already taken."

"However, the fact remains that this plushie has -no- emotional value whatsoever. And that, if my memory serves correctly, was the entire purpose." Seto tapped his left foot.

"Hey, it has a funny story attached to it. That's nearly as good," Joey beamed.

"I don't find anything humorous about it," Seto said tartly.

"We-ell, you could always try again," Joey suggested, his eyes bright.

"I think not." Seto turned away and headed for the exit of the fair. After stuffing the plushie back into his backpack, Joey followed him.

-OWARI-


End file.
